Adventures in Salford ............... part 1 getting the wrong bus

Passing through Pendleton, 2016

Now the thing about adventures is that they must be unplanned, unlike an excursion which is surrounded with decisions of where to go, how to get there and that all important consideration of what to put into the sandwiches.

As my mum always said, why spend lots of money on fancy foods when a cheese and pickle sandwich does just as well.

That said she also maintained that the money saved could be used on ice creams, sweets and lemonade.

A co-op, 2016

And I was reminded of those wise words when the excursion I planned turned into an adventure.

It was the Saturday before the holiday and I was tasked with exchanging the t shirts that had been bought in Salford Precinct the day before.

So as someone who has never learned to drive the trip from Chorlton involved the tram to Castlefield, a train from Knott Mill to Salford and then a bus.

The day was one of those bright sunny days which were even more pleasant given the early start and all went well.  Not a hitch not a missed connection.

Looking out from Knott Mill Station towards Salford

The way back was different.  Standing in the precinct I thought I would be clever and decided on a different bus, assisted by the advice of a fellow traveller who like me came from London.

And as they say never ask a Londoner for advice on catching the right bus from Salford to the train station.

I knew something was wrong when after two stops we took a left turn and the adventure began.

Unplanned it may have been, but what a journey offering up bits of Pendleton I hadn’t seen in decades and bits which were totally new.

Allowing me to see some of those old Co-op shops I featured months ago along with lots more.

Wating for the train at Knott Mill, 2016

And being an adventure I was not quite sure where I would end up other that after half an hour it wouldn’t be the station but turned out to be St Mary’s Gate which was OK, and offered up the chance to take a few more pictures in the sunshine before getting the tram home.

But as misadventures go it is small fry compared to the trip on a water ferry across to the Greek mainland from the resort of Poros in the early 1980s.

The trip should have taken minutes but like those buses which you think will take you all the way to your destination but for some reason end abruptly short of where you want to go my water taxi was intent on taking tourist to a beach half an hour away from the landing stage.

All of which was fine but a trip which was to take 5 minutes became an hour much to the consternation of the people I had happily waved good bye to.

Location; on a bus through Salford

Pictures; Pendleton Co-operative Industrial Society, 2016 from the collection of Andy Robertson and Knott Mill Station 2016 from the collection of Andrew Simpson